Calendar Shifts Hurt Walgreens April Results

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In April, Walgreens generated sales of $5.98 billion, an increase of 3.8% from the same month in fiscal 2012, the retailer announced. Total front-end sales, including general merchandise such as home furnishings and housewares, decreased 2.9% versus the same month in fiscal 2012, while comparable store front-end sales decreased 4.3%.

However, for the combined March/April period that includes the Easter holiday season, front-end comps only decreased by 0.2%, the company pointed out, as customer traffic in comparable stores decreased 4% and basket size increased 3.8%.

Prescriptions filled at comparable stores increased by 9.7% in April and 6.3% if calendar-day shift impact is eliminated, Walgreens maintained. April 2012 had one additional Tuesday and one fewer Sunday compared with April 2012. Those shifts positively impacted prescriptions filled at comparable stores by 3.4 percentage points, the company reported.

Walgreens opened 14 stores during April, including four relocations, and it closed one, the company said. As of April 30, it operated 8,550 locations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, including 8,086 drugstores, 231 more than a year ago including 99 net stores acquired over the last 12 months.